The present invention relates generally to artificial nails that are applied to natural nails with an adhesive, and more particularly to an artificial nail having a heat-stamped outer metallic layer and its method of manufacture.
Artificial nails have been used for many years to enhance the cosmetic appearance of the fingers. Some individuals opt to use artificial nails because their own nails are too weak to grow to a desirable length without breaking. Others choose artificial nails because they are considerably stronger and more durable than natural nails, and because nail polish adheres better to the artificial nail surface. Some individuals are unhappy with the shape and contour of their natural nail and opt to use an artificial nail to improve the appearance of their nails.
It has been known in the art of adorning the hands to provide ornamental fingernail accessories made from thin, molded plastic members manufactured generally in the shape of a fingernail. Indeed, numerous artificial fingernail manufacturers have provided a variety of combinations of materials, arrangements, and colors in fingernail accessories. With the advent of such artificial fingernail accessories, the wearer could now have intricately pre-designed fingernails that are simply attached to the natural fingernail and then later easily removed.
Conventional pre-designed fingernails include a decorative design stenciled or air-brushed on a top surface thereof. The pre-designed artificial nail is glued to the surface of the natural nail by applying an amount of a liquid bonding adhesive to the bottom surface of the artificial nail and/or the top surface of the natural nail to affix the accessory to the nail. Usually the wearer must wipe or trim away any excess adhesive and then wait several moments until the adhesive dries to ensure that the accessory is secured to the nail. An overlay is then typically applied to the entire top surface of the artificial nail. The overlay is usually transparent or translucent so that the decorative design is visible on the top surface of the artificial nail. Once the overlay sets, the artificial nail is shaped as desired.
Of the myriad possible designs given to artificial nails, a particularly attractive ornamentation is to provide the artificial nail with a metallic look, whereby the nail appears to be made from a metallic material. Typically, this ornamentation is provided by painting or otherwise applying a polish having a metallic appearance directly on an artificial nail. This may be done by the consumer or it may be pre-applied prior to sale to the consumer. In either event, this procedure can be expensive, messy and time consuming. Additionally, nail polish typically chips and peels, eventually requiring reapplication whether on natural or artificial nails.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,836 to provide a nail with a metallic leafing material layer adhered to the nail to achieve the metallic look. However, this ornamentation is accomplished by first applying an adhesive coating to the top surface of the nail with a brush, adhering a thin sheet of metallic material having an area larger than the nail over the adhesive coating, smoothing the material with a brush to eliminate creases and wrinkles and trimming the excess material that extends beyond the periphery of the nail. Finally, a coating of clear polish or other sealer is applied over the sheet material to maintain the decorated nail""s durability. While the desired ornamentation is achieved, the process is again messy and time consuming and requires an amount of skill to achieve satisfactory results.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ornamental artificial nail having a pre-applied decorative metallic appearance which is simply and inexpensively manufactured.
The present invention is a method and a die set for manufacturing a metallic artificial nail for attachment to a natural nail. xe2x80x9cArtificial nailxe2x80x9d, as used herein also includes fingernail extensions, referred to in the trade as xe2x80x9ctipsxe2x80x9d, which will be more fully explained hereinbelow.
The method includes the step of heat-stamping a metallic substrate having a heat-activatable layer to a surface of a contoured nail body whereby the metallic substrate is bonded to the nail body. Preferably, the step of heat-stamping includes the steps of placing the nail body in a heat-stamping press die set, placing the metallic substrate in the die set such that the heat-activatable layer faces the top surface of the nail body, closing the die set so that the heat-activatable layer makes contact with the top surface of the nail body and heating the die set to cause the heat-activatable layer to bond to the top surface of the nail body. The method further preferably includes the step of coating the metallic substrate with a clear sealant.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat-stamping press die set includes a first contoured surface substantially corresponding to the contour of the bottom surface of the nail body for supporting the bottom surface of the nail body when the die set is closed. Similarly, the heat-stamping press die set preferably includes a second contoured surface substantially corresponding to the contour of the top surface of the nail body. The second contoured surface of the die set faces the top surface of the nail body when the die set is closed. A cutting edge surrounding the second contoured surface may be provided for cutting the metallic substrate around the periphery of the nail body as the die set is closed.
As the die set is closed, the second contoured surface of the die set bears against the metallic substrate causing the substrate to stretch and conform to the top surface of the nail body. Additionally, the peripheral edges of the cut metallic substrate adhere to the peripheral edge of the nail body and become beveled during cutting.
The metallic substrate is preferably made from a metal selected form the group consisting of aluminum, silver, copper and gold. It may be placed over the entire top surface of the nail body or it may be placed over only a portion of the top surface of the nail body.
Preferably, the nail body is a one-piece injection molded body made from a transparent material. The metallic nail may be a full cover, wherein the proximal end of the nail body is sized and shaped to substantially correspond to the full nail bed of the natural nail, or the nail may be a nail tip, wherein the proximal end of the nail body is sized and shaped to be attachable to only the distal end of the natural nail.
The method for manufacturing a metallic artificial nail according to the present invention preferably includes the step of stretching the metallic substrate over the contoured nail body prior to heat-stamping. In particular, a nail body is placed in the heat-stamping press die set and a metallic substrate is positioned over the nail body such that the heat-activatable layer of the substrate faces the top surface of the nail body. The metallic substrate is engaged on opposite sides of the nail body with stretching rollers, which press the metallic substrate onto the nail body to stretch the metallic substrate over the contoured nail body prior to heat-stamping.
A die set for heat-stamping a metallic substrate onto a contoured nail body to form a metallic artificial nail is also provided as a result of the present invention. The die set generally includes a die including a first contoured surface substantially corresponding to the contour of a bottom surface of the nail body for supporting the nail body in the die set and a punch including a second contoured surface positioned opposite the first contoured surface. The second contoured surface substantially corresponds to the contour of a top surface of the nail body for conforming the metallic substrate to the contour of the top surface of the nail body during heat-stamping.
The punch is preferably provided on a top die shoe and may further include a cutting edge surrounding the second contoured surface for cutting the metallic substrate around the periphery of the nail body during heat-stamping. The die is preferably provided on a bottom die shoe which faces the first die shoe. The die set further preferably includes stretching rollers positioned on opposite sides of the punch for stretching the metallic substrate onto the contoured nail body prior to heat-stamping.
As a result of the present invention, an artificial nail having a decorative metallic appearance is provided. The method for manufacturing the nail is simple, cost effective and does not require the messy separate application of adhesive or the smoothing or trimming of the metallic sheet material. The result is an inexpensive cosmetically appealing artificial nail having a pre-applied metallic appearance.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.